Negative Treatment Effects Research Articles

Stochastic curtailment tests for phase II trial with time-to-event outcome using the concept of relative time in the case of non-proportional hazards

ABSTRACT As part of the drug development process, interim analysis is frequently used to design efficient phase II clinical trials. A stochastic curtailment framework is often deployed wherein a decision to continue or curtail the trial is taken at each interim look based on the likelihood of observing a positive or negative treatment effect if the trial were to continue to its anticipated end. Thus, curtailment can take place due to evidence of early efficacy or futility. Traditionally, in the case of time-to-event endpoints, interim monitoring is conducted in a two-arm clinical trial using the log-rank test, often with the assumption of proportional hazards. However, when this is violated, the log-rank test may not be appropriate, resulting in loss of power and subsequently inaccurate sample sizes. In this paper, we propose stochastic curtailment methods for two-arm phase II trial with the flexibility to allow non-proportional hazards. The proposed methods are built utilizing the concept of relative time assuming that the survival times in the two treatment arms follow two different Weibull distributions. Three methods – conditional power, predictive power and Bayesian predictive probability – are discussed along with corresponding sample size calculations. The monitoring strategy is discussed with a real-life example.

Silver diamine fluoride and resin-dentin bonding: Optimization of application protocols

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of SDF-based treatments following delayed bonding and surface treatment approaches on resin-dentin bonding efficiency of a universal adhesive under different application modes. MethodsMid-coronal dentin surfaces from sound third molars were randomly treated with 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and/or additionally with potassium iodide (SDF/KI). Untreated dentin served as control. SDF-treated teeth were assigned to groups according to surface treatment approaches (air-abrasion and water rinsing), the application mode of a mild universal adhesive (etch-and-rinse or self-etch) and delayed bonding (immediate, 7, 15 or 30 days). Microtensile bond strength (n = 5), SEM analyses of hybrid layer formation and dentin etching patterns and dentin permeability were evaluated. Data were analyzed with factorial ANOVA. ResultsSDF-based treatments affected dentin bonding depending on application mode and surface treatment approaches (p<0.001). Etch-and-rinse bonding was not affected by SDF-based treatments (p<0.05), producing more homogenous hybrid layers. While dentin etching patterns of etch-and-rinse application were not affected by SDF-based treatments, self-etching presented limitations. Bond strength reductions of self-etched dentin were restored by silver-removal strategies containing a water-rinsing step (p<0.05). Delayed bonding additionally reduced dentin permeability (p<0.05), further decreasing with longer periods (p<0.05). ConclusionAlthough the negative effect of SDF-based treatments on resin-dentin bonding can be avoided by strategies incorporating water-rinsing before hybridization, delayed bonding brings additional advantages due to higher mineral deposition. Clinical significanceWhile the etch-and-rinse technique avoids major bonding drawbacks to SDF-treated dentin, self-etch bonding requires removal of excess silver deposits before hybridization. Performing SDF-based treatments and dentin hybridization in separate sessions (>15 days apart) potentialize mineral deposition improving caries control and service life of composite restorations.

Overview of the prospects for the introduction of ultrasonic oil treatment in the main pipeline transport

This paper considers the most common methods of pipeline transport of high solidified oil existing at the moment. The effects of treating oil with magnetic and electric fields are given. The positive and negative effects of ultrasonic treatment in oil transport processes are considered. The totality and quality of the facts requires much more in-depth analysis on a number of issues in this area because with a lot of positive effects are present and negative, which do not allow to implement.

Thymoquinone Ameliorates Carfilzomib-Induced Renal Impairment by Modulating Oxidative Stress Markers, Inflammatory/Apoptotic Mediators, and Augmenting Nrf2 in Rats.

Chemotherapy-induced kidney damage is an emerging problem that restricts cancer treatment effectiveness. The proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib (CFZ) is primarily used to treat multiple myeloma and has been associated with severe renal injury in humans. CFZ-induced nephrotoxicity remains an unmet medical need, and there is an urgent need to find and develop a nephroprotective and antioxidant therapy for this condition. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a bioactive compound that has been isolated from Nigella sativa seeds. It has a wide range of pharmacological properties. Therefore, this experimental design aimed to study the effectiveness of TQ against CFZ-induced renal toxicity in rats. The first group of rats was a normal control (CNT); the second group received CFZ (4 mg/kg b.w.); the third and fourth groups received TQ (10 and 20 mg/kg b.w.) 2 h before receiving CFZ; the fifth group received only TQ (20 mg/kg b.w.). This experiment was conducted for 16 days, and at the end of the experiment, blood samples and kidney tissue were collected for biochemical assays. The results indicated that administration of CFZ significantly enhanced serum marker levels such as BUN, creatinine, and uric acid in the CFZ group. Similarly, it was also noticed that CFZ administration induced oxidative stress by reducing antioxidants (GSH) and antioxidant enzymes (CAT and SOD) and increasing lipid peroxidation. CFZ treatment also enhanced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production. Moreover, CFZ increased caspase-3 concentrations and reduced Nrf2 expression in the CFZ-administered group. However, treatment with 10 and 20 mg/kg TQ significantly decreased serum markers and increased antioxidant enzymes. TQ treatment considerably reduced IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and caspase-3 concentrations. Overall, this biochemical estimation was also supported by histopathological outcomes. This study revealed that TQ administration significantly mitigated the negative effects of CFZ treatment on Nrf2 expression. Thus, it indicates that TQ may have utility as a potential drug to prevent CFZ-induced nephrotoxicity in the future.

Rotation-age effects of subsoiling, fertilization, and weed control on radiata pine growth at sites with contrasting soil physical, nutrient, and water limitations

Although short- and medium-term responses to early silvicultural treatments have been documented, few studies show productivity gains or losses throughout a rotation across a range of soil types and resource availability. We evaluated the rotation length productivity responses of radiata pine to subsoiling, fertilization, and weed control in dry sand (DS), red clay (RC), and recent volcanic ash (RV) soils representing a gradient of physical, nutrient, and water limitations. Stands were planted in 2000 in a split-plot factorial design, with soil preparation (subsoiling vs. shovel planting) as the main plot and fertilization at planting (B only vs. NPKB) and weed control (none vs. 2-year banded application) as factorial randomized treatment plots within the main plots. Annual diameter at breast height, height, survival, and cumulative volume responses were measured. The rotation-age results for cumulative volume showed that early gains from weed control were maintained through at least 15 years of age. At rotation age, weed control increased the cumulative volume at the DS site (56 m3/ha, 20% gain), and the response over time was maintained at the RC site (28 m3/ha, 8% gain), whereas the volume was reduced at the RV site (-36 m3/ha, 7% loss). Fertilization resulted in the greatest response at the RC site (29 m3/ha, 8% gain); there were small responses at the DS site (5 m3/ha, 2% gain) and negative responses at the RV site (-18 m3/ha, 4% loss). Interestingly, subsoiling resulted in null or negative responses at all sites, and negative effects increased over time, with volume responses ranging from −4 m3/ha (1% loss) and −27 m3/ha (7% loss) at the DS and RC sites, respectively, to −116 m3/ha (21% loss) at the RV site. Carrying capacity was reached at mid-rotation at the RV site and resulted in negative treatment effects at rotation age, suggesting the need for thinning or a younger harvest age at this site. Given the negative or null effects of soil preparation, a better understanding is needed for how this silvicultural treatment is affected by soil type and soil strength.

PENGARUH PERLAKUAN BODY SHAMING TERHADAP KEPERCAYAAN DIRI MAHASISWA BIMBINGAN DAN KONSELING

Along with the development of appearance style and physical character during adolescence, verbal abuse often happen in the form of body shaming. Body shaming are very influential on the self-confidence of adolescents. It’s because in adolescence, self-confidence is very important, especially to build interactions with friends and their environment. Body shaming that a teenager receives will indirectly undermine his self-confidence. This study aims to determine the significance effect of the body shaming treatment towards self-confidence on class of 2020 of Guidance and Counseling students at Satya Wacana Christian University. This type of research is causal comparative. The research sample was taken using a total sampling technique according to the total population of 48 students. The data collection technique uses a questionnaire instrument with 4 alternative answers. The research data were analyzed using a simple linear regression technique using SPSS 23. The results showed that the acquisition of tcount&gt; ttable (-10,220 &gt; 2,013) and a significance value of 0.000 &lt; 0.05. So it can be concluded that in this study there was a negative significant effect of the body shaming treatment towards the self-confidence on class of 2020 Guidance and Counseling students at Satya Wacana Christian University.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and co-effects of air quality and carbon dioxide emissions changes during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown measures in China

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted several nations, including China, to enact unprecedented lockdown measures, leading to significant alterations in environmental conditions. Previous studies have solely analysed the impact of lockdown measures on air pollutants or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, but few have focused on the spatio-temporal change characteristics and synergistic effects between the two. In this study, we constructed a methodological framework to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics and co-effects of air quality (PM2.5, SO2, and NO2) and CO2 changes in 324 prefecture-level cities in China due to the COVID-19 blockade measures from January 24 to April 30, 2020, using the regression discontinuity in time method and co-effect control coordinate system. The results show that a significant improvement in air quality and CO2 emissions during the lockdown period, with notable north‒south heterogeneity. During the major lockdown period (January 24 to February 29), the measures resulted in respective reductions of 5.6%, 16.6%, and 25.1% in the concentrations of SO2, NO2, and CO2 nationwide. The proportions of cities with negative treatment effects on PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and CO2 were 39.20%, 70.99%, 84.6%, and 99.38%, respectively. Provinces where concentrations of CO2 and NO2 declined by over 30% were primarily concentrated in southern areas of the ‘Yangtze River Defense Line’. Starting from March, the improvement effect of air quality and CO2 has weakened, and the concentration of air pollutants has rebounded. This study offers crucial insights into the causal effects of lockdown measures on air quality changes, and reveals the synergy between air quality and CO2, thereby providing a reference for devising effective air quality improvement and energy-saving emission reduction strategies.

Late sequelae of retinopathy of prematurity in infancy

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the most frequent causes of severe visual impairment or blindness in childhood and can lead to severe late complications in children even after the initial disease has resolved. The present study summarizes possible late effects in childhood after treated and untreated ROP. Aspecial focus is on the development of myopia, retinal detachment, as well as neurological and pulmonary development after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment. This work is based on aselective literature search on late effects in childhood of treated or untreated ROP. Preterm infants have an increased risk of developing high-grade myopia. Interestingly, several studies indicate that the risk of myopia is reduced following anti-VEGF treatment. With anti-VEGF treatment, however, late recurrences after initial response are possible even after several months, making long-term and frequent follow-up examinations essential. Controversy exists regarding the possible negative effects of anti-VEGF treatment on neurological and pulmonary development. After both treated and untreated ROP, rhegmatogenous, tractional or exudative retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, high myopia and strabismus are possible late complications. Children with ahistory of ROP with or without treatment have an increased risk for late ocular sequelae, such as high myopia, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage and strabismus. Aseamless transition from ROP screening to pediatric and ophthalmological follow-up care is therefore essential for timely detection and treatment of possible refractive errors, strabismus, or other amblyogenic changes.

What are patients’ experiences of discontinuing clozapine and how does this impact their views on subsequent treatment?

BackgroundDiscontinuing what is considered the most effective treatment for treatment-resistant schizophrenia may precipitate feelings of failure or a relapse of illness. Clozapine treatment is discontinued for a variety of reasons, including non-adherence, intolerance, or lack of efficacy. Patients’ experiences of discontinuing the “best” treatment and the impact on perceptions of subsequent antipsychotic treatment are important in developing an understanding of the factors affecting people’s treatment choices. This study is the first of its type, seeking to explore people’s perspectives on clozapine discontinuation.MethodSemi-structured interviews with sixteen patients who had received clozapine and discontinued treatment—thirteen males and three females, age range: thirty-two to seventy-eight years old—were audio-recorded and transcribed. A modified inductive approach to analysis, based on grounded theory, was taken to identify commonalities and differences in patients’ perceptions.ResultsThe three main themes identified from participants’ experiences were:positive and negative effects of treatment;feelings of agency, being the capacity to make decisions about treatment and act independently;choice of treatment in the future.Participants exhibited agency in making choices about medication, including risking relapse, while attempting self-management of medication effects. Different participants perceived the same side effect as beneficial or intolerable. Variation in subsequent treatment choices was reported, with some participants favouring depot (long-acting) injections. A participant was frightened when not told about clozapine’s side effects, which led to the participant not being engaged in future treatment decisions. Others, despite suffering serious adverse effects, retained positive perceptions of clozapine; they experienced despair at finding an effective alternative.ConclusionsExperiences with clozapine discontinuation evoked powerful emotions and resulted in clozapine being the benchmark for other treatments. Knowledge, agency, and being in control were important to participants in relation to treatment. Personal perceptions of treatments or beliefs about illness could lead to non-adherence. People value the clinician listening to their experiences to better understand their perspective, enabling concerns about medication to be addressed through true shared decision making.Trial registrationNHS Health Research Authority and Health and Care Research Wales, IRAS Project ID 225753, Research Ethics Committee (REC) reference: 18/NW/0413, 25/06/2018.

Online Home-Based Physical Activity Counteracts Changes of Redox-Status Biomarkers and Fitness Profiles during Treatment Programs in Postsurgery Female Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in women. Oxidative stress may contribute to cancer etiology through several mechanisms. A large body of evidence indicates that physical activity (PA) has positive effects on different aspects of BC evolution, including mitigation of negative effects induced by medical treatment. With the aim to verify the capacity of PA to counteract negative effects of BC treatment on systemic redox homeostasis in postsurgery female BC patients, we have examined the modulation of circulating levels of oxidative stress and inflammation markers. Moreover, we evaluated the impacts on physical fitness and mental well-being by measuring functional parameters, body mass index, body composition, health-related quality of life (QoL), and fatigue. Our investigation revealed that PA was effective in maintaining plasma levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and tGSH, as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells' (PBMCs) mRNA levels of SOD1 and heat-shock protein 27. Moreover, we found a significant decrease in plasma interleukin-6 (≈0.57 ± 0.23-fold change, p < 0.05) and increases in both interleukin-10 (≈1.15 ± 0.35-fold change, p < 0.05) and PBMCs' mRNA level of SOD2 (≈1.87 ± 0.36-fold change, p < 0.05). Finally, PA improves functional parameters (6 min walking test, ≈+6.50%, p < 0.01; Borg, ≈-58.18%, p < 0.01; sit-and-reach, ≈+250.00%, p < 0.01; scratch right, ≈-24.12%, and left, ≈-18.81%, p < 0.01) and body composition (free fat mass, ≈+2.80%, p < 0.05; fat mass, ≈-6.93%, p < 0.05) as well as the QoL (physical function, ≈+5.78%, p < 0.05) and fatigue (cognitive fatigue, ≈-60%, p < 0.05) parameters. These results suggest that a specific PA program not only is effective in improving functional and anthropometric parameters but may also activate cellular responses through a multitude of actions in postsurgery BC patients undergoing adjuvant therapy. These may include modulation of gene expression and protein activity and impacting several signaling pathways/biological activities involved in tumor-cell growth; metastasis; and inflammation, as well as moderating distress symptoms known to negatively affect QoL.

Clay/nanocomposite hydrogels: In review

The development of advanced materials those are stronger, more rigid, lighter, hotter and self-renewable than existing materials has been the rising point of many research studies conducted in recent years. Within this scope, the interest to production of nanostructured materials is received considerable attention worldwide due to their potential positive contribution to wide variety of technological areas such as electronics, catalysis, adsorbents, ceramics, magnetic data storage, structural components etc. In these efforts polymer nanocomposites as the form of hydrogels, reinforced with well-dispersed layered silicate, typically montmorillonite can be given as a one of the promising composite material. However, long-standing problems for polymer-clay nanocomposites include actual exfoliation of clay particles in discrete layers, uniform distribution of clay layers throughout the polymer, and randomness of clay sequences. For the exfoliation of clay particles, although the chemical modification of clay minerals in aqueous media is the well-known and more general way applied by researchers, the physical pathway method performed by high-energy ball mills is also gaining increasing attention as an alternative pretreatment way. Grinding of crushed materials is one of the key processes in the mineral and cement industry, but the increased concern on the preparation of fine-grained powders (nano powders) or the manufacture of composites with desirable properties, especially performed with use of high-energy ball mills, has led to significantly widen the usage field of grinding. Undoubtedly, the main reason for these efforts is to improve the performance of existing materials. In this paper the fundamental concepts, classification, physical and chemical characteristics and the production methods of clay/polymer nanocomposites was briefly reviewed base on the composite hydrogel. Particular attention was paid to the pre-treatment (exfoliation) of clays with high-energy ball mills, which is increasingly being accepted as an alternative method to eliminate the negative effects of chemical treatment in some composite forms.

GABA Administration Ameliorates the Toxicity of Doxorubicin on CSF and the Brain of Albino Rats.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain and is a non-proteinogenic amino acid. Doxorubcin (DOX) or adriamycin is one of the most potent chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer. This study focused on diminishing the brain injury and neurotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) by GABA administration. Rats were randomly divided into four groups (8 rats each), which were the control group, DOX group (3 mg/kg for 4 weeks, then 2 mg/kg for 2 weeks), GABA group (2 mg/kg for 21 days), and DOX + GABA group (treated as the second and third groups). Neurotoxicity and brain injury were assessed by determining CSF biomarkers, serum inflammatory markers, and histopathological evaluation of the cerebral cortex. DOX treatment significantly increased the levels of all CSF biomarkers (S100B, IL-1β, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), spectrin breakdown products (SBDP145), and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and all inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ), causing extensive neutrophilic infiltration and great alteration in the cerebral cortex architecture as evidence of neurotoxicity. The oral administration of GABA significantly reduced the levels of all CSF biomarkers and inflammatory markers and restored the normal architecture of the cerebral cortex, with observed ameliorations in neutrophilic infiltration. GABA administration can ameliorate neurotoxicity and protect the brain against the negative effects of DOX treatment.

The future of fertility preservation for women treated with chemotherapy.

Cytotoxic chemotherapies have been a mainstay of cancer treatment, but are associated with numerous systemic adverse effects, including impacts to fertility and endocrine health. Irreversible ovarian damage and follicle depletion are side-effects of chemotherapy that can lead to infertility and premature menopause, both being major concerns of young cancer patients. Notably, many women will proceed with fertility preservation, but unfortunately existing strategies don't entirely solve the problem. Most significantly, oocyte and embryo freezing do not prevent cancer treatment-induced ovarian damage from occurring, which may result in the impairment of long-term hormone production. Unfortunately, loss of endogenous endocrine function is not fully restored by hormone replacement therapy. Additionally, while GnRH agonists are standard care for patients receiving alkylating chemotherapy to lessen the risk of premature menopause, their efficacy is incomplete. The lack of more broadly effective options stems, in part, from our poor understanding of how different treatments damage the ovary. Here, we summarise the impacts of two commonly utilised chemotherapies - cyclophosphamide and cisplatin - on ovarian function and fertility, and discuss the mechanisms underpinning this damage. Additionally, we critically analyse current research avenues in the development of novel fertility preservation strategies, with a focus on fertoprotective agents.

Abstract 5906: Gut microbiota signatures are associated with immunotherapy induced cognitive decline and neurotoxicity

Abstract Studies have demonstrated promising outcomes of combined immune checkpoint blockade (CICB) modulating tumor cytotoxicity via targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). The emergence of long-term patient management has been transformed among health care professionals as patient survival rates are increasing significantly. Despite promising advances, patient outcomes are heterogenic and are correlative to host intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Multiple reports have highlighted the negative effects of cancer treatments towards inducing cognitive impairment and neurotoxicity often referred to as “chemofog”. More recently, the gut microbiome has been increasingly recognized to regulate antitumor immunity and further distinct microbiome signatures can confer favorable outcomes in the context of CICB. Interestingly, specific microbes within the gut microbiome have been shown to regulate social behavior and cognition via the bidirectional communication along the gut-brain axis though changes in microbiota-derived metabolites and vagal afferent fibers. Insights into mechanisms of immunotherapy induced cognitive decline are warranted. Thus, we hypothesize CICB exacerbates cognitive impairment and neurotoxicity via the detrimental alterations to the gut microbiome. To address this, we profiled the gut microbiome, through 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from patients (n=146) with advanced melanoma treated with CICB stratified based on severity of cognitive dissonance. Beta-diversity, incorporating weighted UniFrac distances by principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), revealed a cluster of samples from patients with cognitive impairment as compared to samples from those with minimal to absent cognitive decline. Further, taxonomical analysis showed significant alterations in relative abundances of microbial candidates (e.g., L. intestinalis, A. muciniphila, F. prausnitizii, and R. hominis). These results suggests that CICB patients with cognitive impairments and neurotoxicity have altered microbiome signatures which may potentially exacerbate downstream neuroinflammatory signaling. Further studies investigating specific host-microbe pathways and profiling microbiota-derived metabolites which are implicated in these detrimental effects are essential for biomarker discovery and mechanistic insight. Citation Format: Anik Banerjee, Christina Roland, Sarah Johnson, Nadim Ajami, Jennifer Wargo. Gut microbiota signatures are associated with immunotherapy induced cognitive decline and neurotoxicity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5906.

The relationship between salivary alpha-amylase, nitric oxide, pain and anxiety-induced stress in patients during dental treatment.

Pain and anxiety are the most reported negative effect of orthodontic treatment which can influence the quality of life and are responsible for the discontinuation of treatment. These unpleasant experiences raise the stress levels reflected by the increase in the concentration of salivary alpha-amylase and nitric oxide. These can be assessed through various subjective methods which have limited value as it depends on the patient's honesty, assessing whether using objective methods are reliable. To assess pain and anxiety-induced stress levels using both physiological (Salivary alpha-amylase and Salivary nitric oxide) and psychological testing instruments (Visual analog scale and State Trait Anxiety Inventory Y6) during the initial phases of fixed orthodontic treatment. A total of 30 patients were included. Pain and anxiety instruments were applied and saliva samples were collected from patients before and after separator placement, before and 48 h after archwire insertion and 1 month after archwire insertion. The mean values of alpha-amylase (235.3600), nitric oxide levels (2.060) and pain scores (7.8667) were higher 48 h after archwire insertion (T3) which are statistically significant, P = 0.00. Anxiety scores (57.7000) were high before separator placement (T0). No statistically significant correlation was found among pain and alpha-amylase, anxiety and nitric oxide levels. Initial alignment phases of fixed orthodontic treatment affect patients' anxiety and stress levels. The findings could be a result of the psychological stress due to procedures in the initial phases of the treatment.

Approach to schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is the most common of a group of psychotic disorders that occur in approximately 3% of the population over the lifespan. It has clear genetic antecedents, which are shared across the spectrum of psychotic disorders; however, a range of other biological and social factors influence the onset and treatment of the disorder. Schizophrenia is diagnosed by a characteristic set of symptoms (positive, negative, disorganisation, cognitive and affective) accompanied by a functional decline. Investigations are used to exclude other organic causes of psychosis and to provide a baseline for the negative effects of pharmacological treatments. Treatment requires a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. Physical health is poor in this group of people and this is not helped by inconsistent care from health services. Although earlier intervention has improved the immediate outcomes, the longer-term outcome has not significantly shifted.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DENTAL COMPLACATIONS PREVENTION AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS IN ZAPORIZHZHIA

SUMMARY. The aim – to investigate the condition of the oral cavity in patients with malignant neoplasms of the mammary gland and lungs before and after chemotherapy and to analyze the effectiveness of dental prophylaxis. Material and methods. To achieve this goal, a statistical study of oncological patients undergoing chemotherapy at the ONCOLIFE medical center (Zaporizhzhia) was performed. 60 patients, both men and women, were enrolled in the study. All respondents were divided into groups according to cancer type: group 1 consisted of 30 lung cancer patients, group 2 comprised 30 breast cancer patients, and group 3, the control group, included 30 people without cancer. Research results have been processed with modern statistical methods on a PC with Statistica 13 software package. Results. The data were checked for normality of distribution since the distribution of most data differs from normal; the median and interquartile range (Me(Q25; Q75)) of data presentation were designed. A comparison of indicators in three independent groups was performed with the Kruskall – Wallis test, in two independent groups – with the Mann – Whitney test, and the non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used to determine the effect of prophylactic treatment. The Chi-square test was used to compare qualitative data. Differences were considered statistically significant at a significance level of p&lt;0.05. Conclusions. Patients with oncopathology accompanied with unsatisfactory oral hygiene, caries and its complications are more likely to get dental problems during chemotherapy treatment. Oncological patients diagnosed with lung cancer and breast cancer developed relatively similar dental complications, which confirms the negative effect of chemotherapy treatment as is.

Computational Docking Studies of MAPK1 Target Protein Responsible for Heart Failure Using Catechin as Natural Inhibitor

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are major thespians that have been the subject of in-depth research over the last few decades among the several intracellular signaling networks that regulate the pathophysiology and development of the heart. Heart failure is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization and is a serious public health issue. Heart failure mostly affects the elderly, and as life expectancy increases and chronic medical conditions are better managed, more people are expected to develop the condition. The thrust to investigate alternative traditional medicine has attracted much attention as there are many negative effects of the current pharmacological treatments that are being used to control the problem of heart failure. The protein's original configuration and the ligand combination both had binding energies of -5.62 kcal/mol, which may pave the way for future use of the knowledge about the responsible protein and optimization of their lead molecule for an alternative treatment for the cases of heart failure. But further research is needed, for the validation of the data in wet labs, larger trials and in-vitro studies, to establish its drug-likeliness and their applications.

Potential protective effects of isoflavones in effective management of cardiovascular diseases

For human life, health, and biological growth, nutrition is crucial. A prominent example of a food that is nutrient rich at the moment is "Soybean”. In Asian nations, it is thought to be a significant source of proteins and may be used in place of dairy products and meat. When compared to other food legumes, soybeans offer several nutritional benefits in terms of their composition in macro- and micronutrients. As more information on negative effects of chemical treatments is being available to people, they are now is search of potential phytocompounds. The aim of the present review is to provide potential evidence of isoflavones in management of cardiovascular diseases like heart failure, myocardial infarction, hypertension and coronary artery disease. Nevertheless, soy isoflavones can have certain adverse consequences since they are endocrine disruptors. Thyroid function abnormalities have sparked concerns. In light of the aforementioned findings, an effort has been undertaken to examine the literature on the beneficial and harmful roles of isoflavones, soy-derived bioactive compounds.

Environmental control reduces white‐nose syndrome infection in hibernating bats

AbstractInfectious diseases caused by invasive, environmentally persistent fungal pathogens have increasingly endangered global biodiversity, yet disease management remains a major conservation challenge. A prominent example is white‐nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the invasive fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that has devastated populations of multiple North American bat species, but for which few effective management tools exist. Here, we propose that strategies to delay environmental transmission of Pd during early winter could limit WNS disease effects across winter, benefitting bats. We used a small captive experiment and a multi‐year field trial on wild, free‐ranging bats to assess an environmental control strategy to manage Pd within its environmental reservoir in Pennsylvania, USA, where the pathogen has become endemic. The strategy centers on the application of Polyethylene Glycol 8000 (PEG) to roost substrates in summer, prior to bat hibernation, as a means to disrupt environmental transmission to bats in early winter. In the captive experiment, environmental transmission of Pd to immunologically naïve little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) occurred from roost substrates inoculated with Pd, but the application of PEG to these substrates effectively blocked this transmission. In the field trial, Pd load and infection extent both declined substantially in free‐ranging M. lucifugus after treatment relative to controls, with declines exceeding effects of inter‐site and inter‐annual variation. Pathogen prevalence and load also declined substantially after PEG treatment in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). No negative effects of PEG treatment were observed in body condition or colony counts of bats or in the microbial community. Together, these results are consistent with effective environmental control of Pd and reduced WNS disease effects in bats within contaminated hibernacula. The results also highlight the potential of carefully designed environmental control strategies for managing environmentally persistent pathogens.